GoSystem Tax

For the upcoming tax season, a major focus for Thomson Tax & Accounting's GoSystem Tax RS is enhancing client workflow and continuing to bolster its Web Services to help ensure its 75,000-plus users, or logins, comply with taxing authority mandates.
"We are looking for ways to integrate GoSystem with a client's workflow," says Boyd Gackle, product manager for GoSystem Tax RS. "We are coming out with solutions via Web Services so we streamline the process."

Web Services takes routine transactions and automates them, so if a user wants to import or export data into or out of the system they can do so with the push of a button. For example, Web Services can import data from a K-1 with limited work, eliminating the need to re-key the data. The company currently offers 19 different Web Services.

With regard to Web Services, the company will continue to identify areas within its products that may be integrated with its clients' current processes to streamline data gathering, import and export, compute, print and document management.

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In addition, Thomson will offer e-file aggregation for international tax forms from other vendors to help users comply with IRS mandates.

In the fiduciary arena, the vendor will offer full support of federal electronic filing, and for corporate, GoSystem is adding e-file support for 1120F returns, as mandated.

Speaking of e-filing, Gackle noted that it continues to be a major focus for the company and, to date, its efforts have proven to be a success. In fact, its clients have e-filed business returns with total assets in excess of $5.4 trillion, with $5.2 trillion coming from corporate returns at a 97 percent first-time acceptance rate.

Gackle added that it continues to see success with its GoSystem Tax RS To-Go product. With RS To-Go, users can take their tax software with them to a remote client site-even with no access to the Web-and enter information into the return, which later can be uploaded when logged on to GoSystem Tax RS.

He says they have experienced a 20 percent increase in RS To-Go usage, indicating more returns are being processed at the client site rather than in the traditional CPA office. For the upcoming season, there are no major upgrades or enhancements slated for RS To-Go.

GoSystem Tax RS user J. Michael Kolk, the tax partner in charge of Cleveland-based Cohen & Co., has been using the program consistently since the mid-1990s and says the firm selected GoSystem, in large part, because it was a true Windows-based platform before its competition, which is what the firm was looking for at that time. Over the years, GoSystem has helped the firm become a paperless environment.

"We have been truly paperless since 2002 and RS makes it far easier to share work remotely," says Kolk, whose firm generates about $25 million in annual revenue. "The ability to have multiple users in the same return is very helpful in long distance collaboration."

When asked what product enhancements he would like to see implemented, Kolk says, "Ohio specific enhancements, such as intercounty personal property tax returns, would be extremely helpful."

Going forward, providing firms like Cohen & Co. with continued compliance and a streamlined workflow process is undoubtedly on the top of GoSystem's priority list.

"We recognize that compliance is at the core of what we do. Keeping this top of mind, we also stay close to our clients' practice needs, appreciate their challenges and work to identify and streamline their workflow so they can add efficiency to their practices and better serve their clients," Gackle notes.